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THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1969,
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
VOL. 92, NO. 74
IFC tables new contract
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Joe Voboril Qeft), president of
Trimester, quarter changes unfeasible in some areas
by John Dvorak
Nebraskan Staff Writer
" Throughout its 100 years, the
University of Nebraska has operated
on a semester system.
Summer session arrangements have
been . adopted and then modified
through the years, but the main
semester plan of operation has re
mained unchanged since the first
classes began in 1871.
It is appropriate for the faculty to
periodically ask for examination of
is present calendar arrangement, ac
cording to Dr. Harry P. Shelley, pro
fessor of psychology.
THE UNIVERSITY could maintain
the present semester system, or it
could take a more radical approach.
The quarter system could be adopted,
or the semester system could be
modified, as has occassional been
suggested.
Students apparently have no official
say in the matter, although ASUN
Senate recently passed a resolution
recommending that classes start two
weeks earlier in the fall and that
finals be given before Christmas.
Sen. Tom Lonnquist, who introduced
the resolution, said that aside from
With sealing for 100
Shortage of space in Love Library
to become object of student protest
Love Memorial Library will be the
scene of a student demonstration
Thursday to protest the shortage of
books and study space.
The demonstration, organized by
student senators Curt Donaldson and
Bill Mobley, intend to dramatize pro
testation by building a wooden "addi-
On Campus Today
1 I
The Nebraska Union Trips k Tours
Committee is (sponsoring Europe 19G9,
a program offering group fares to
Europe this coming summer. At
.7 p.m. Thursday, there will be an
Orientation meeting and film at the
-Nebraska Union for anyone who may
"be interested.
"k
Dr. Z. F. Bereday, professor of
comparative education at Columbia
University, will speak at a special
Centennial Symposium on education
and economic growth at 4 p.m. in
Love Library auditorium. Following
the symposium, which is open to the
public, there will be a question and
answer period.
; Spring Day interviews for diair
man and assistants will be held
March 8, beginning at 8 a.m. in the
Nebraska Union. Applicants must sign
up for a time on the sheet posted on
the activities board in the Union
basement before 5 p.m. Friday.
IFC and Steve Sumnick, pledge
pledge on contract.
resolutions and petitions, there is
nothing students can do.
Should a calendar change be made
any change the resonsibility lies
completely with the Faculty Senate,
according to campus president Joseph
Soshnik.
EACH YEAR the Senate sets the
calendar for the next academic term,
he noted. This duty traditionally rests
with the faculty.
In fact, the calendar for next year
has already been approved, according
to Dr. Walter E. Mientak, secretary
of the Faculty Senate. It is essentially
the same as this year's.
The Calendar and Examinations
Committee of the Senate, chaired by
Dr. David W. Olive, is already work
ing on the calendar for 1970-1971.
"I've been here 21 years," said Dr.
James H. Weber, chairman of the
chemical engineering department.
"This calendar question comes up for
big discussion every three or four
years." Nothing ever seems to come
of these discussions.
FOR INSTANCE, in 1916 first
semester classes began September 18.
In 1947, they began on September
18. This year, they began September
13. In 1928, second semester ended
. . .
tion" to Love Library at the north
entrance to the building.
Construction on th: addition" will
begin at 9 am. on Thursday, ac
cording to Donaldson. This "addition"
will remain open for 24 hours.
"We will have seating space for
about 16 students," be said Tuesday.
"The addition will be called the
Centennial Wing. Since everyone is
naming something 'Centennial,' we
thought we should get in on the
act"
Overcrowded Love now has study
seating for 1,200 people. Of this
capacity, 800 seats are allotted to
undergraduates while 400 are reserved
for faculty and graduate students.
According to Donaldson, toe hur
riedly erected library would also like
to check out books,
"BUT SINCE we have no books,
we will give the students IBM cards,
stamp both sides; give them a
receipt; and place their name on file,"
he added. "The idea, of course, is
that students have been unable to get
books at Love Library and have even
been unable to find a place to sit
down."
For this reason, Donaldson said
their names will be put in reserve
and they can have first choice of
books when a new library is actually
built.
Love Library does rank behind the
libraries oi most other universities of
comparable size in books held, ac
education chairman, discuss the
on June 2. In 1961 it stopped May
27 and this year May 23.
Last year a University senate Ad
Hoc Committee examined a con
siderable body of information and
opinion that has arisen recently out
of national concern about scheduling.
BBHnmamnnimHiiei8imntni!Bnifl&wniHaa
(Semester? Trimester? Quarter?
The majority of American universi
ties utilize the semester plan, al
though many yeara have employed
different systems. Sentiment at NU
is strong for the semester plan, but
other ideas have been considered.
This four-part study will examine
pros, cons and opinions on the differ
ent calendar schedules.)
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That committee, chaired by Dr. J.
M. Daly, professor of biochemistry,
recommended no change in the cur
rent calendar.
The committee concluded that the
present system does indeed have some
undesirable aspects. Many faculty
members feel the "bobtail" period
(one, sometimes two weeks of class
followed by final exams) after
Christmas is undesirable because it
cording to Frank A. Lundy, director
of Love Library. Love currently ranks
61st out of the 71 members of the
Association of Research libraries.
"ALTHOUGH WE won't have
books." Donaldson said, "we will pass
out stationery to students so that they
may write their state senator and
urge him to work for appropriating
money for a new library."
Donaldson added that the IBM cards
with students names will be delivered
to the Unicameral.
"Figures can say it, but several
thousand students and faculty can say
it better," he continued. "We simply
can't wait four more years for a new
library."
THE DEMONSTRATORS have not
txen actively soliciting faculty sup
per, according to Donaldson.
However, the . students have asked
many faculty if their efforts would
be helpful or harmful and they have
generally been encouraged to go
ahead with the demonstration.
"We think a library is the focal
point of a university," he said. "If
you have a good library, it doesn't
necessarily mean you have a good
university, but you don't have a good
university without a good library."
"We are a small group," Donaldson
added, "but we expect massive sup
port from other students and faculty
members."
outlawing pie dge
by Jim Pedersen
Nebraskan Staff Writer
The Interfraternity Council (IFC)
Wednesday tabled an explicit and
binding version of the pledge educa
tion contract.
Little was changed in the old
clause of the contract concerning
hazing. However, a sentence was ad
ded which defines and forbids "line
ups." The contract is more definite
than the original one adopted last
year.
The added sentence reads: "It
(hazing) shall also include 'line-ups,'
when such activity involves a pledge
or pledges standing at attention or
being verbally or physically
assaulted."
"We felt that the hazing clause was
far too vague," Steve Sumnick,
chairman of the IFC Pledge Educa
tion comittee said.
.
"THIS IS the main area in which
old style pledge training remains,"
he added. "If I had to throw out
everything else in the contract, I
would want to retain that sentence."
Sumnick feels that the contract can
be enforced and made important in
the fraternity system.
"We win enforce the contract as
well as we can," he said. "Members
of my committee and the executive
committee of IFC will go to houses
on Monday, Friday and Saturday
nights, and other nights if necessary,
to make sure there are no violations
of the contract."
IT SHOULD be the responsibility
of all the actives of a house to main
tain the principles of progressive
fragments the continuity- of work for
students and teachers.
Also under the semester system the
year is not divided equally, thus sum
mer terms are shorter and equivalent
year-round opportunities for students
are difficult to create.
MANY TEACHERS contacted feel
the final examination period, as now
scheduled, is too lengthy.
However, the semester system,
composed of two 17-week learning
periods plus two five and one-half
week summer periods, offers three
strong advantages.
(1) A unit of 17 weeks permits com
prehensive treatment of subject mat
ter and sufficient time for study and
evaluation.
(2) It provides the desired amount
of prime attendance time from
September through June.
(3) The system coincides with the
calendars of about 70 per cent of the
nation's institutions of higher learning
as well as elementary and secondary
schools of the region.
ACCORDING TO the Faculty Ad
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"The Killing of Sister George" opens Thursday at 8 p.m. in Howe'J Theatre. An Army veteran lesbian
called Sister George and her roommate Childie, in her thirties, become distressed when they learn
that George is to die.
pledge training and not let any in
cidents occur, Sumnick continued. If
there is just one violation, the contract
will be revoked.
Sumnick also outlined plans to in
form rushees of the existence and
importance of the contract.
"There will be an explanation of
the contract in the rush books which
go out to incoming freshmen and the
contract will be explained by the IFC
orientation teams which will travel
through the state in June," he said.
A list of the houses which have
signed the contracts will also appear
in the rush book, Sumnick added, and
a list and similar emanation will be
sent to all high school principals.
SUMNICK INDICATED that the
Pledge Education committee will also
contact national and alumni chapters
of University fraternities in ai at
tempt to acquaint them with the
methods of progressive pledge
training and convince them the pledge
training must be altered.
Most of the revisions in the new
contract were made to plug loophofes
in last year's contract. For instance,
the revocation clause was changed so
that a violation of the contract will
cause a house to lose it for a full
calendar year.
"Previously, a house was able to
lose the contract through a violation
in the first semester and then renew
it for the second semester," according
to Sumnick. "It was no big deal hav
ing the contract for the second
semester, as the house easily renewed
it for rush week."
The expiration date of the contract
Hoc Committee, two realistic
alternatives exist and each would
require considerable revision of the
calendar.
The Quarter System: Under this
plan, the year would be divided into
four nearly equal learning terms. The
summer could be broken into two five
and a half week sessions.
Less than 30 per cent of the nation's
colleges and universities use the
system, but this figure may be
misleading. Schools on the quarter
system represent a number of large
state-supported institutions like Iowa
State, Ohio State, Minnesota,
Michigan State and the University of
California.
THE QUARTER Plan has several
main advantages:
Elimination of the "bobtail" ef
fect; four equivalent academic terms,
three of which occur during the prime
attendance period;
more flexibility in course offer
ings, faculty leaves and research
activities and
administrative and instructional
equivalency in work loads, pay
1 incups
was also changed. Formerly the con
tract had to be renewed with each
change in house officers. The new
contract provides that the contract
will be in effect from the first day
of classes in the 1969-70 academic year
until the first day of classes in the
following academic year.
..
"THE REASON for doing this was
to prevent houses from evading the
IFC by saying we cannot investigate
a violation or Hell Week because they
have changed officers and no longer
have the contract," Sumnick said. -
Minor changes include the
lengthening of study time for pledges
from three and one-half hours to four
hours and the addition of a clause
providing for eight hours of sleeping
time for the pledge. ;
Another slight alteration as the ad
dition of a sentence which says quiet
hours will be maintained from dinner
until daybreak in rooms and study
areas. The clause replaces t h
somewhat vague "quiet hours in
selected areas." ,
Sumnick doesn't expect all
fraternities to sign the contract T l
"SOME PEOPLE fear that no
houses will sign it," he added. "I
don't believe this will happen, but if
only a few houses sign, they certainly
will reap the benefits from the con
tract." If the IFC revokes any contract,
it will be published, Sumnick con
tinued. A list of those houses which
sign the new contract also will be
published.
Sumnick feels that in scattered
Continued on page 3
periods and salaries for both prime
attendance periods and summer
terms.
Credit hours could be structured in
one of two ways under the quarter
system.
Plan A. One quarter system credit
equals two thirds of a semster credit
For year-long classes, no major
changes would be required; subject
matter would be divided into three,
rather than two units.
'
FOR ONE semester classes,
however, some subject matter would
have to be eliminated or shifted to
other courses in order to fit a 10
or 11 week class schedule.
Plan B. One quarter credit equals
one semester credit. This would. re
quire a three credit class to meet five
times weekly for 50 minutes or three
times a week for 80 minutes. Students
would concentrate on three rather
than five subjects per quarter.
Like every other system, the
Quarter System has purported disad
vantages. It would require one addi
tional advising and registration
Continued on page 3
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